Our last day in Canmore took us along the Minnewanka Scenic Drive, where we crossed off most of our must-sees plus a few more. Wildlife sightings ramped up, we thoroughly enjoyed a boat cruise, and Jim stepped out of his comfort zone for a while.

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit The Trip of Our Lives 2023.

When you have the pleasure of visiting Banff, be sure to find yourselves in this neck of the woods. I think today ranked up there as one of our favorite days of the trip. The only stop on the drive that we missed was Johnson Lake. Click on the link and a local Banff Blogger can vouch for that one – with nice photos and reasons why it’s one of her favorite spots in the area.

The Cascade Ponds

We were headed to our first stops of the day and came upon a green sign that wasn’t on our list. There are not many times that we’ll turn down an invitation to visit some place new, so we pulled in. Cascade Ponds is a series of ponds created from glacial melt from Cascade Mountain.

“If you look beyond the grassy meadows and tranquil waters of Cascade Ponds, you’ll see the strength of natural elements at play. A few years ago, this landscape was transformed by floodwaters that created an entirely new waterway ripe for exploring.

Wander the pebbled shores and open fields on a meandering trail that wraps around the ponds. As the sun sets behind the mountains, the glow of the firepits warms the cool night air, and a thousand stars appear above.” ~ READ MORE

Wildlife!

Picnic tables, firepits, beautiful bridges, and very few people made this a wonderful stop. Chippies love it here too – running wild and digging holes all over the place. The clear aqua ponds provide wonderful reflections in favorable conditions – which I keep going on and on (and on) about.

For a change of scenery, an easy trail surrounds the ponds in a 1.5-mile loop. It runs through the trees before returning to the waterfront where two signature Red Chairs are waiting to provide a little breather with superb views.

Even the Views Back to the Parking Lot Were Amazing!

Two Jack Lake

About halfway between the Ponds and Two Jack Lake, two deer near the road got to wondering why we were in their park. We slowed way down so not to scare them off and came pretty close. Although we have a lot of white-tailed deer in Wisconsin, we love wildlife and they’re always worth a slowdown and a snapshot if it’s safe to do so.

Immediately when we pulled into the parking lot at Two Jack, three mule deer made a quick entrance – and exit. Luckily I got a close-up of one (with a zoom) to see its fuzzy antlers. This time of year they look a little scruffy when shedding their winter coats. Google says the biggest difference between white tails and mule deer besides their size (mulies are a little larger) are their behinds and tails, both of which are on display below. Also the mule deer’s ears are larger and more donkey-like.

Distracted by Bighorn Sheep

It’s tough to not be distracted by bighorns! They looked pretty content up on the hillside. Rams were definitely more plentiful today, but one ewe (fourth pic) is taking a break from all that testosterone and is off by herself. Other than on a grassy hillside, it’s common to see bighorns anywhere the salt truck went last winter – even if it’s the middle of the road.

Finally a View of the Lake

“Across the lake, the iconic summit of Mount Rundle rises serenely above it all. Visit in the evening golden hour to watch as the setting sun illuminates the sky behind Rundle before shifting into rosy twilight.” ~ READ MORE

Mt. Rundle extends for almost eight miles with seven distinct peaks, so it dominates the backdrop at the lake. Two Jack Lake is actually connected to Lake Minnewanka – where we’re headed next. Both lakes are fed by the Cascade River, which originates from Cascade Mountain (which also feeds Cascade Ponds).

No motorized boats are allowed on this lake, but peace and quiet is rare, especially during the summer months. Between the crowds, the kayakers, and two campgrounds located nearby, we were lucky to visit on such a peaceful day. An easy two-mile trail (each way) meanders from where we are here to one of the campgrounds along the shore.

“The best time to visit Two Jack Lake is early morning or late afternoon/early evening. These times will give you the best lighting for your photographs and you will get the beautiful sunrise and sunset as an amazing bonus.” ~ READ MORE

We moved the car down to a lower parking lot once we decided this was the place for lunch! There were several geese that were staring us down, but they kept their distance. Apparently the majority of visitors follow the golden rule to “Keep Wildlife Wild” and don’t feed them.

I’m jumping ahead to a tour guide later in our trip who said, “They had to come up with bear-proof garbage bins that would not cross the line between the smartest bear and the dumbest human!”

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” ~ Aristotle

Lake Minnewanka

“For well over 10,000 years, the deep waters of Lake Minnewanka have held the respect and high regard of those who have visited and lived upon its wild shores. Known to the Stoney Nakoda First Nations people as Minn-waki or “Lake of the Spirits,” the lakeshore holds archeological sites with documented artifacts from as long as 14,000 years ago.

Learn about the human and natural history of the lake on a cruise or simply explore by foot along the lakeshore trail that leads to Stewart Canyon, impeccably carved by the Cascade River that flows into the lake.” ~ READ MORE

Since we arrived a little early, we wandered around the shoreline a bit to get a feel for the place. It was nice to get a ground level look before heading off to the boat, even though the boats were not huge by any means.

Permission to Board?

What better way to visit a lake that is 13-miles long and 466-feet deep, than by boat! Our boat cruise came with a talented crew and a very knowledgeable tour guide called Captain Will, who told us stories and legends about the lake and talked extensively about the animals and fish that inhabit this beautiful and peaceful place. This boat had very curious passengers, and all of the questions that people asked, he had the answer – or he made something up (his words, not mine!).

A Little Elbow Room

This is the first of the lakes that we visited today that allows motorized boats with an established company giving tours. Since marketing has done its job, this lake is more well-known than either of our first stops. I think since we’re still in May, the “crowds” have yet to arrive – giving us a little more elbow room. Departure times were staggered so each boat had some time to shut down the engine and feel the serenity of the Lake of the Spirits.

The History of Lake Minnewanka’s Dams is an Interesting One

• 1886 – a log hotel called the Beach House was built along the shore of Lake Minnewanka
• 1888 – Minnewanka Landing was established with hotels, restaurants and the lake’s first tour boats
• 1895 – to improve the boggy shoreline for boating, the lake was dammed
• 1912 – for a downstream hydro-electric plant on the Cascade River, the lake was dammed again – but this time, Minnewanka Landing was flooded (after its residents were forced to move). Today, scuba divers are the only visitors to Minnewanka Landing now that it’s 98 feet underwater.
• 1941 – the final “embankment” dam (shown below) was built after a twenty-year struggle between the power company and the protectors of the park. Approved in 1940 by the Canadian government under the War Measures Act, which superseded the 1930 National Parks Act – which excluded industrial development in national parks.

According to Captain Will: when the men went off to war and the women were helping with the war effort and/or filling in with jobs in town, the final dam was actually built by kids – ages 7-17. Today the hydroelectric dam provides electricity to Canmore, Banff and the surrounding ski resorts.

“National parks today protect landscapes of natural and cultural significance. Although the lake has seen many changes over the past century, people continue to seek out its wild nature and hidden mysteries. The Spirit of Lake Minnewanka Lives On.” ~ READ MORE

The Banff Gondola Ride

By now you probably know that Jim doesn’t like to drive on mountain roads that are on the edge, he doesn’t like rooftop views, and the thought of going up 2,300 feet in a small steel contraption made him queasy. I kept talking it up, telling him that there would be 360-degree views of the entire vicinity of Banff – everywhere we had visited over the last three days. A three-story observation deck up top had a restaurant, gift shop, and a world-class mountaintop discovery center.

Nope… it wasn’t going to happen. I decided that I would go while he waited in the lounge down below, which he said would work for him. And then he changed his mind! And I wasn’t to speak of it again until we were at the top.

As you can tell by our transportation to the top, we faced each other – which worked nicely for me! He wanted to face the mountain and the trees going up (and down!), and I got the views! And could we have had a better day?

Sweeping Views of 6 Mountain Ranges, the Bow River, and Banff!

“Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk. Several scenic hiking trails lead away from the summit complex. One of the most popular is the self-guided interpretive Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk to Sanson’s Peak. More adventurous hikers will want to try the South East Ridge Trail — a route that runs along the ridge of the mountain to the south, taking you to Sulphur Mountain’s true summit.” ~ READ MORE

Jim Needs a Beer!

He laughs about it now, but after that experience, we finished off our day at the Canmore Brewing Company with a Misty Mountain Hops – a very tasty New England Style IPA – (or two). Too bad they didn’t serve food, but we got even closer to home at the Phoenix Asia Buffet right at Falcon Crest (our condo)!

Thank You Canmore. We’ll Be Back!

Next up: A Sweet Route on Moving Day

Happy trails,
Barb